Positive Attitudes

Positive attitudes in parenting can go a l-o-n-g way. First off is the obvious, if you are happy your children are more than likely happy too. We all feed off of each other, whether it is your children, your spouse or a stranger on the street. We take it all with us. Sometimes we recognize it for what it is, sometimes not. I, personally, find that there is a certain time of the month that because of me…. no one in my house is in a good mood- especially me. That is what has led me to write this particular article.

Thinking about how your mood will be is something that we can try to control. It, of course, doesn’t always work. But if you approach each day as a new day and take a moment in the morning for yourself, you may find that everything goes a bit smoother.

Thoughts to give you “me” time so positive attitudes prevail:

• Pack lunches the night before. Leave the sandwich for the morning, of course.
• Take a few moments in the morning, whatever you can – be it 5 minutes or 30 – for reading the bible, a book, journaling.
• Wake up your school bound children with “happy”. I sing  “rise and shine and sing God your  glory, glory….” Or I tickle them or smother them with kisses until they scream. *Even my teenager gets this treatment sometimes, to her disgust and pretend agitation.
• Make sure that backpacks are loaded and ready to go out the door.
• Make sure that all projects, donations and homework is completed, packed up and/or in the car.

All of these suggestions help to move the day along smooth and happy. Positive attitudes for everyone helps to have positive attitudes from everyone. Which of course makes for a better day. a happy day, a smoother day.

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Another suggestion, that I have learned recently… try to stay away from people that bring you “down”. I have found that it takes me a precious part of the day to recover from being brought down. Amazing, isn’t it? And what is even more amazing is that we don’t recognize it for what it is… We don’t recognize the downer for the downer….until retrospect.

But even more amazing…. we don’t recognize when someone does a “happy”, smiles in passing, holds a door open, stops and allows you to pull out of a parking lot or to make a turn. All of these things help keep you in a positive attitude, these are the things that we need to pay forward.